The mindset in postmodernism is that objective truth does not exist. But in post-truth, the person believes that objective truth exists, but they subordinate truth to their preferences, or their comfort. In other words, one doesn’t care that truth exists or what the truth is if it doesn’t line up with one’s preferences. "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily" – George Washington letter to Edmund Randolph — 1795. Faith in Jesus Christ is our response to God's elective purpose in our life. These two truths–God's initiative and man's response–co-exist throughout the Bible. The gospel is "the message of truth" because truth is its predominant characteristic. Salvation was conceived by the God of truth (Ps. 31:5); purchased by the Son, who is the truth (John 14:6); and is applied by the Spirit of truth (John 16:13). To know it is to know the truth that sets men free (John 8:32). Believers are people of the truth (John 18:37), who worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24), and who obey the Word of truth (John 17:17). People have rejected, neglected, redefined, and opposed God’s truth for centuries. Some cynically deny that truth even exists or that it can be known by men (John 18:38). Others foolishly think that denying truth will somehow make it go away. Truth determines the validity of one's belief. Believing a lie doesn't make it true. Conversely, failing to believe the truth doesn't make it a lie. The gospel is true because Jesus is true, not simply because Christians believe in Him. His resurrection proved the truth of His claims and constitutes the objective basis of our faith (Rom. 1:4; 1 Pet. 1:3). Truth is our protection and strength (Eph. 6:14). Throughout history, people have tried everything imaginable to gain favor with God. Most turn to religion, but religion apart from Christ is merely a satanic counterfeit of the truth. At the heart of every false religion is the notion that man can come to God by any means he chooses–by meditating, doing good deeds, and so on. But Scripture says, "There is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). That name is Jesus Christ, and we come to Him by confessing and repenting of our sin, trusting in His atoning death on the cross, and affirming His bodily resurrection from the grave (cf. Rom. 10:9-10). There is no other way to God. False religious leaders and teachers talk much about God’s love, but not His wrath and holiness; much about how deprived of good things people are, but not about their depravity; much about God’s universal fatherhood toward everyone, but not much about his unique fatherhood toward all who believe in His Son; much about what God wants to give to us, but nothing about the necessity of obedience to Him; much about health and happiness, but nothing about holiness and sacrifice. Their message is full of gaps, the greatest of which leaves out a biblical worldview of the saving gospel and replaces it with the worldview of postmodernism with its dominant ethical system of relativism. The Bible describes mankind in the end times: “always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7). Spiritual answers cannot be deduced by human reason alone (1 Cor. 2:14). It’s not that spiritual truth is irrational or illogical, but that human wisdom is defective, because it’s tainted by man’s sinfulness, and unable to perceive the things of God. That is why the Bible is so important. It gives us the answers we can’t find on our own. It is God’s Word to mankind. Scripture is divinely revealed truth that fills the vacuum of spiritual ignorance in all of us. Post-truth is the word of the year for 2016 and also the philosophy of the day, According to the dictionary, “post-truth” means, “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.” Simply put, we now live in a culture that seems to value experience and emotion more than truth. In a “post-truth” world, people make choices based on emotion and experience rather than objective fact. So in a post-truth world, truth is irrelevant. What exactly is a post-truth culture? It’s a culture where truth is no longer an objective reality. It has become subjective. It’s what’s true for me—my beliefs, my opinions, determine my truth. So in our post-truth culture, man determines truth. Man makes himself the ultimate authority. This starting point, which rejects God’s Word and the idea of moral absolutes, makes truth subjective. Truth will never go away no matter how hard one might wish. Christianity is grounded in objective truth. “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). Objective truth exists because we have God’s Word. In the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Thy word is truth” (John 17:17), and Paul and James describe the Bible as “the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18). The Psalmist says, “The entirety of your word is truth” (Psalm 119:160). Jesus Himself said, “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice” (John 18:37). When Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except by me” (John 14:6), He wasn’t expressing His personal belief or opinion. He was speaking the truth, a fundamental reality that doesn’t change from person to person. It doesn’t matter if our culture thinks all roads lead to God. The truth of the matter is “no one comes to the Father but by [Jesus].” This blogs goal is to, in some small way, put a plug in the broken dam of truth and save as many as possible from the consequences—temporal and eternal. "The further a society drifts from truth, the more it will hate those who speak it." – George Orwell

Lesson #8 – Redemption for those who have already engaged in sexual sin (Part 1)

Lesson #9 – Redemption for those who have already engaged in sexual sin (Part 2)

Lesson #10 – Review

Sexual Purity – Lesson 1 What does God Say about Sexual Purity in His Word?

What is Sexual Purity? It is the conforming of your body and your sexual self to God’s vision of human sexuality as presented in Scripture.

God created sex and made it physically desirable to us, His creation, by giving us a sex drive. Without engaging in sexual union, people would not have continued to exist on this planet Earth, the world God created for us to inhabit. God blessed Adam and Eve after He created them, saying, “Be fruitful, multiply, and fill the earth” (Genesis 1:28a), before sin corrupted God’s perfect world (Genesis 3).

Sexual union is a beautiful gift from God and is never sinful, IF a man and a woman wait to come together physically until after they are married. “‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:5-6).

God’s Word speaks openly about the pleasure of sex within marriage, one of the good things God created to be enjoyed within marital bonds: “Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice in the wife of your youth” (Proverbs 5:18-19). “Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies” (Song of Solomon 4:5). “How beautiful are your feet in sandals, O noble daughter! Your rounded thighs are like jewels, the work of a master hand” (Song of Solomon 7:1).

God intended sex to be a sacred union within marriage, and reserves it for that union. It’s a source of intimacy and a means of procreation. But like all good gifts God gives, sex can be both misused and perverted, and that is where our study of sexual purity comes in.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

What do you hope to gain from this series of lessons on Sexual Purity?

Sexual purity is essential for our walk with the Lord. Purity is not an option in an obedient Christian’s life; it’s a requirement. The Bible tells us in 1 Thessalonians 4:3, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality.” It is God’s will we be sanctified (set apart for God) and avoid sexual immorality. By keeping ourselves pure, we are being obedient to the Lord. This gives us access to the Lord: “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love” (John 15:10).

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Why is obedience to God important for the Christian?

What is your main motivation for obedience? Do you obey God so He will be pleased with you because you follow His rules, or because you love for Him?

Think about this truth: God loves us unconditionally – no matter what. There’s nothing we can do or fail to do to cause God to love us more, or less.

We may be deceived, thinking we are strong Christians and cannot fall into the temptation of sexual sin. This is a lie from our enemy to cause us to keep our guard down. The Bible tells us in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” 1 Corinthians 10:12 reminds us, “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” Galatians 6:1 warns, “Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.”

These verses all point to the same truth: No matter how spiritually mature we are, or think we are, we can easily fall into the trap of sexual immorality.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Can you think of a time when you yielded to temptation in an area of your life that completely surprised you – an area where you thought you’d never even be tempted, let alone fall into sin?

What are some activities we should AVOID to lessen the possibility of giving in to sexual temptation?

What are some things we can DO to reduce the possibility of yielding to sexual temptation?

The minute we become a Christian, we become a target for the devil and his agents, the demons. When we begin to serve the Lord, we are targeted by our enemy. Since the devil is not omnipresent, nor is he omnipotent, he assigns his demons to Christians. They will cleverly scheme a way to bring us to failure, by leading us through our own desires into sin. The Bible admonishes us in James 1:4, “And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” We are tempted by own desires. What the devil and his demons do is observe and learn us, including our weaknesses and tendencies, and our desires. Then using these desires, the evil ones orchestrate our fall into sin.

Their main goal is to dishonor Christianity, hoping also to make those around us, on whom we would have had a positive impact for God, follow us down into the same sin. There will be a tragic ripple effect which will lead to a massive slide backward, away from God’s gift of salvation. Then people in the world will ask what difference there is between them and Christians, if the same immoral behavior is witnessed in the lives of Christians. Those who do not believe in Jesus will see no need to be taught the things of God. Advance of the Gospel will be hindered, and the devil has won a victory.

God paints us a word picture in 2 Timothy 2:20-21: “Now in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver but also of wood and clay, some for honorable use, some for dishonorable. Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.” God requires us to be His holy instruments, and He also warns us to be alert. “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8).

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Write your prayer of consecration to your Lord, asking Him to forgive you and make you His holy instrument.

God reminds us in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 we are not our own, we were bought with a price, and so we should honor God with our bodies. When we are born again, our bodies are no longer our own because we surrender ownership of all we are to God, becoming the temples of His Holy Spirit. Think about it: Our bodies are actually the temple of the Holy Spirit – He dwells within us!

It is a common misconception that we save our bodies for our spouse, but we actually save our bodies for Christ, so we may live a holy life. Out of our reverence for God, we and our spouses both benefit in the future.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Read Romans 12:1-2. How can you apply these verses in the area of sexual purity?

Some Christians find having an “accountability partner” to be vital in resisting temptation and staying on God’s path for their life. Think of a strong Christian with whom you can be 100% truthful. Ask them if they will pray for you, MEET WITH you on a regular basis and hold you accountable in this area of sexual purity.

Sexual Purity – Lesson 6 What are the Consequences of Sexual Impurity?

Our prayers will go unanswered.

The Bible tells us in Psalm 66:18, “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” Zechariah 7:13 is sobering: “’As I called, and they would not hear, so they called, and I would not hear,’ says the LORD of hosts.” God wants to listen to us, but He doesn’t listen when we’re not walking with Him in obedience because He loves us so much. He knows if He continues to bless us while we are still sinning, we will not stop sinning, and sin might destroy us. So He convicts and draws us to repent, and then He heeds our prayers.

Sexual sin opens doors for the enemy to attack.

Revelation 12:10, predicting future events, encourages us that our enemy’s days are numbered, but he is constantly accusing us now: “And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, ‘Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.’” When we are living in sexual sin and have not repented of it (we are living in direct disobedience to God), the Bible tells us our prayers will not be effective.

So when the devil presents his case to the Lord (nothing on this earth ever happens unless the Lord has allowed it – see Job 1 & 2), he will have legal ground against us. He will be allowed to attack us – through sickness, financial distress, emotionally, or any area he sees fit. Only the Lord, because of His mercy, can limit him on the areas and severity of attack. Sexual sin is definitely an open door to demonic attack.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Have you experienced, or are you now experiencing, the feeling your prayers aren’t going any higher than the ceiling? Do you sense any areas of demonic attack in your life? Are you making the right choices? God’s power is there for you to break sinful habits. Are you asking the Lord for this help?

Pray about your answers to these questions. God is waiting with open arms for you to repent and return to Him. Always remember, God is infinitely more powerful than our enemy. “ … He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4b).

Sexual Purity – Lesson 7 What are the Consequences of Sexual Impurity?

Sexual sin takes away the purity of marriage.

The images that might never be erased from your mind will rob you of the ability to enjoy intimacy with your spouse. Trust, essential for a strong marriage, will probably be quite low. When you live in sexual sin and later get married, fragments of your soul are in different places with the people with whom you committed sexual sin before your marriage. The Bible puts it this way, “Do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, ‘The two will become one flesh’” (1 Corinthians 6:16).

This means if you’ve had 20 sexual partners before you get married, your marital bed will be invaded by those 20 different souls, and intimacy with your spouse will not be as pure or as satisfying as God intended it to be.

It is possible even for a Christian to step so far away from God’s path it can lead to physical death. James 1:15 tells us after desire has been conceived it gives birth to sin, and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death. In 1 Corinthians 11:30 we read that even Christians can die because of their unconfessed sin and refusal to repent.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Ephesians 6:10-18 describes the armor of God and how we can be armed and prepared for the spiritual battle. Fill in the blanks:

Sexual Purity – Lesson 8 Redemption for Those who have Already Engaged in Sexual Sin

Repent

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal ….” (2 Chronicles 7:14). The sickness the Bible refers to here is spiritual sickness. Once we sin, there’s a spiritual tear in the Spirit; this means the Holy Spirit might not work through us as much as He used to. Though we might not feel the effects now, with time we will realize the things of God no longer move us as they used to.

Praise God! He heals that insensitivity, once we repent and turn back to Him. After repenting, the Lord also repairs our fragmented soul. When we truly repent, God promises in Joel 2:25a, “I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten ….” What the locusts have eaten in this context is our soul, our ability to give and receive in marriage as God intended it to be from the beginning, our ability to enjoy a pure intimacy with our spouse.

Apply God’s Word to your life

Ask God to reveal areas in your life which need healing. Following the steps in 2 Chronicles 7:14, humble yourself, pray, seek God’s face, and turn from your wicked ways (repent). Repentance means turning 180 degrees away from sin – think of walking in one direction, then turning about face and walking in the opposite direction.

Write your prayer of repentance:

Sexual Purity – Lesson 9 Redemption for Those who have Already Engaged in Sexual Sin

Cleanse your ways by reading the Word of God.

Let the Word of God have the final word in your life. The Bible tells us in Psalm 119:9, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word.” Romans 12:2 teaches, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” God’s Word cleanses us when we keep exposing our mind to the Scripture, rather than corrupting it with worldly things, such as movies which glorify any kind of sin.

Not only our minds will be renewed, but also our view of things will begin to change, and WE will be changed. Proverbs 23:7 reminds us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. If you think about the right things you will live in a right way. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippian 4:8).

Apply God’s Word to your life.

“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

How are you studying God’s Word on a daily basis?

How are you guarding your mind so that your thinking is right and godly?

What changes would occur in your life if you applied all the Scriptures in this lesson?

Sexual Purity – Lesson 10 Review

A great Christian writer from the early part of the last century explained God’s idea of marriage like this:

Jesus used the term “one flesh” to describe what a man and woman become in marriage; we may understand this better if we think of “one flesh” as meaning “a single organism.” Jesus was stating a fact when He said “one flesh” (a single organism), just as we are stating a fact when we say a lock and its key are one mechanism, or a violin and a bow are one musical instrument. God is the inventor, the creator, of the “human machine.” Our Creator made the two halves of the human machine, the male and the female, to be combined together in pairs – not only on the sexual, physical level, but totally combined as one organism. Those who indulge in sexual intercourse outside of marriage are trying to take one part of the union and use it for nothing more than personal pleasure. They expect the satisfaction God designed for the complete union, but that satisfaction can never be experienced unless it is used as God designed it to be part of our lives. There is nothing wrong with sexual pleasure, just as there isn’t anything wrong with enjoying what we eat. But we must not isolate sexual pleasure and try to get it by itself. This would be like chewing food then spitting it out, trying to get the pleasure of taste without swallowing and digesting our food.

Apply God’s Word to your life:

Coming together physically as one organism, one flesh, must only be done within the bond of marriage, as one expression of the total union between a man and a woman. This is how God created us, this is His ideal for His creation, and to violate His purpose is to reject much of the joy and fulfillment He created us to enjoy. Not only are our relationships with others compromised when we yield to sexual temptation, but our relationship with God suffers as a result of our choice to sin.

*What have you learned from this series of lessons on Sexual Purity?

*What are the main truths you have applied to your life?

*What do you need to continue to do to remain sexually pure from today onward?